Heightened Enforcement Campaign Results:
Safe Ladder Use At Construction Projects

• Issued: July 2010
• Content last reviewed: July 2010

Note: Although workplace inspection blitzes by the ministry are announced to the appropriate sectors in advance, individual workplaces receive no prior warning.

During a heightened enforcement campaign from May 1, 2009, to March 31, 2010, Ministry of Labour inspectors checked for hazards related to ladder use at construction projects.

These hazards relate to the appropriate use of ladders, ergonomic issues, conditions of ladders and fall protection.

Report summary

Incidents involving safe ladder use and fall protection continue to result in critical injuries and deaths among Ontario construction workers.

Of all the orders issued under the heightened enforcement campaign, seven per cent were related to ladders and 12 per cent to fall protection.

Problems encountered by inspectors included:

• ladders in poor condition
• ladders too short for the task
• ladders not secured top and bottom
• ladders used too close to live electrical conductors or equipment
• lack of fall protection during use of ladders
• ergonomic issues arising from prolonged use of ladders as work platforms, and
• the use of ladders when safer options are available.

The campaign afforded an opportunity to reach large numbers of semi-skilled or untrained workers, and students concerning many aspects of workplace safety.

The ministry will continue to focus on hazards related to ladder use during routine workplace inspections and as part of the continued enhanced enforcement of fall-prevention regulations.

Full report

Ladder and fall protection hazards at construction sites

Incidents involving safe ladder use and fall protection continue to critically injure and kill Ontario construction workers.

From January 2009 to March 2010 inclusive, one fatality was attributed to ladder use.

During the same time period, unsafe ladder use contributed to 38 critical injuries. Most of these injuries occurred in the low-rise residential construction sector and included falls from ladders as well as electrical contact.

Heightened enforcement focus

The almost year-long heightened enforcement campaign focused on:

• appropriate use of ladders
• ergonomic issues, and
• condition of ladders.

The use of semi-skilled or untrained workers and students is prevalent in the construction industry. Such labourers usually help with material-handling activities. The heightened enforcement presented an opportunity to reach these vulnerable workers.

Inspectors visited projects within all construction sub-sectors, including:

• industrial commercial and institutional, and
• residential (both high- and low-rise).

Inspection activity

From May 1, 2009, to March 31, 2010, ministry occupational health and safety inspectors throughout Ontario made 2,151 visits to 1,745 workplaces and issued 6,266 orders, including 397 stop-work orders related to ladder use.

Under the Provincial Offences Act, there were 84 Part I summons and 149 Part I tickets issued at the projects for various offences, many related to personal protective equipment.

Order analysis

Orders were issued under Occupational Health and Safety Act regulations for construction projects with regards to:

• ladder use
• guardrails
• fall protection, and
• training.

Of 6,266 orders issued during the campaign, seven per cent were related to ladders and 12 per cent to fall protection; the top three orders were:

• Fall protection requirements regarding adequate protection by a guardrail system — 3.3 per cent
• Ladder use, securing of the ladder at the top and bottom to prevent movement — 2.6 per cent, and
• Fall protection around floor openings — 2 per cent.

Fifty-three orders (8 per cent), were issued for worker training, instruction and records.

The three construction sub-sectors with the most orders were:

• residential – 35 per cent
• commercial building construction – 25.3 per cent, and
• institutional building construction – 14.5 per cent.

Workplace inspection campaigns

Heightened enforcement inspection campaigns raise awareness of known workplace hazards and promote compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its safety regulations.

Inspection campaigns are part of the province’s Safe At Work Ontario compliance strategy. In selecting construction projects for proactive inspections, the ministry uses predictive indicators such as inherent hazards and poor records of compliance with safety regulations.

Inspectors’ findings determine their subsequent level of engagement and frequency of inspections of individual workplaces. Inspectors often refer employers to health and safety associations for compliance assistance and training.

Next steps

The Ministry of Labour will continue to focus resources on hazards related to this heightened enforcement campaign during routine workplace inspections and as part of the continuing enforcement of regulations.

The ministry will continue to:

• advise that ladders should not be used as work platforms when other methods are available, and
• encourage industry stakeholders to adopt safe, innovative ways to work at heights.

An opportunity to repeat this focus will be addressed during the next enforcement year.

Workplace parties are encouraged to work together to identify and control hazards involving ladders and fall protection. For more information, please contact the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA).